So, having made it to the Lakes and having an outline plan to do certain walks, without the satisfaction of travelling completely on foot, I set out to catch a bus at 8.13 to get me into Windermere for a long breakfast at B's and plenty of time to jump on the bus to Patterdale. Easy? In theory, yes, but you underestimate my ability to introduce random acts of muppetry into any plan.

Having leaped out of bed, shoved the necessary into my rucksack and hiked the mile or so to Newby Bridge, I... read more

There's an (almost) fail-safe technique to planning which has stood me in good stead over the years. It involves procrastinating for weeks on end, mulling over various options without making any real decisions and then swinging into action at the last minute. The theory is that you've weighed the options and the decisions will be instinctive and right... I did say (almost) fail-safe and in this instance every hostel I'd planned to stay at over the weekend was booked solid for the next few wee... read more

On death by PowerPoint and mouldy old dough:

I'd started to suspect that making sourdough wasn't as exciting as I'd first thought, feeding Spot night after night with no apparent change in his condition or temperament. Could it be possible that no wild yeast survives in the murky atmosphere of Manchester? To this end I'd cut back on feeding Spot to check that I wasn't diluting the yeast.

I've also been busy on a presentation skills course the last couple of days, bellowing "a proper cu... read more